Dickeya dadantii is one of newly found bacteria causing soft rot on orchids in Indonesia. Infected plants showed severe rot rapidly only in few days. An effort to control the bacteria was conducted by utilizing selected quorum quenching (QQ) inducer bacteria which produce AHL-lactonase by aiiA gene. The aims of this research were to screen and identify of quorum quenching bacteria, and also assayed their biocontrol potential ability against D. dadantii in laboratory. The screening of QQ bacteria was achieved using the anti-QS test, anti-microbial activity, and detection of aiiA gene using specific primer. The determination of the ability against D. dadantii was done using the soft rot assay on potato and orchid. Among thirty one bacteria isolates screened, four isolates (in succession namely B37, BT2, GG3, and GG6) were selected to control D. dadantii. All of these bacteria showed QQ ability to suppress the virulence of D. dadantii infection on orchids, significantly. Based on nucleotide sequences of 16S ribosomal RNA, those of bacteria isolates had the highest identity with Brevibacillus brevis, Bacillus cereus ATCC14579, Bacillus cereus ATCC14579 and Bacillus thuringiensis ATCC 10792. Brevibacillus brevis was reported for the first time as QQ bacteria in this study.

In different crop plants, combining ability and heterosis are used as important diagnostic tools for assessing the performance of parental genotypes and their hybrids. This research aimed to evaluate heterotic and combining ability effects in the diallel crosses of melon (Cucumis melo L.) for yield- and quality-related traits. Seven melon (C. melo L.) genotypes were grown and crossed in a complete diallel fashion to produce F1 hybrids. During the 2019 crop season, 49 melon genotypes (7 parents + 42 F1 hybrids) were grown in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Observations were made for seven characters. Analysis of variance revealed significant (P ≤ 0.01) differences among the melon genotypes for harvest age, fruit flesh thickness, fruit total soluble solids, fruit length, and fruit diameter and merely significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) for fruit weight. Combining ability analysis revealed that mean squares due to general combining ability (GCA) were significant for fruit diameter but were nonsignificant for all other traits. However, mean squares due to specific combining ability (SCA) were significant for all traits. The parental genotypes PK-165, PK-464, and PK-669 exhibited the highest and desirable GCA effects for yield and quality traits. Hence, these genotypes could be used to generate high-yielding hybrid/open-pollinated cultivars. GCA:SCA ratios further revealed that the traits of harvest age, fruit flesh thickness, fruit total soluble solids, fruit length, and fruit weight were controlled by dominant gene action, whereas fruit diameter was managed by additive and dominant genes. The majority of the traits were controlled by nonadditive gene action, verifying that the said breeding material could be efficiently used for the production of hybrid cultivars on the basis of heterotic effects.

Spodoptera frugiperda or fall army worm (FAW) is new pest of maize in Indonesia. The study of this pest is still limited. This study aims to determine attack rate and intensity of S. frugiperda on maize in Tuban Regency. Sampling was done by using the Scouting method recommended by Balitsereal, Maros. The research was conducted in 7 sub-districts in Tuban, East Java. Based on the results of the research, it was shown that all the observation locations on the corn field were found S. frugiperda attacks. The percentage of new pests of S. frugiperda in Tuban Regency ranges from 58% to 100%. The highest percentage of attacks is 100%, its was found on land in Bancar District, Regency. S. frugiperda attack intensity is below 60%. The highest attack intensity was in Bancar sub-district with an attack intensity value of 55%.

Melon breeding is directed at improving the quality of the fruit needed to meet consumers' demands. e assessment of hybrid melon candidates on important characteristics (vitamin A, vitamin C, and TSS) at ve maturity stages is needed to get hybrid melon varieties with good fruit quality and determine the right harvest time. is study aimed to evaluate the genetic parameters of vitamin A, vitamin C, and TSS contents of D-612 × PK-669 and PK-361 × PK-165 crossings at ve stages of maturity. e study used a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with eight genotypes as treatment and three replications, so there were 24 experimental units.e eight melon genotypes were G 1 = D-612 × PK-669, G 2 = PK-669 × D-612, G 3 = D-612, G 4 = PK-669, G 5 = PK-361 × PK-165, G 6 = PK-165 × PK-361, G 7 = PK-361, and G 8 = PK-165. e content of vitamin A, vitamin C, and TSS was observed at ve maturity stages, namely, at 55 DAP, 60 DAP, 65 DAP, 70 DAP, and 75 DAP. e right harvest time for the eight genotypes tested was maturity stage 4 (70 DAP) because it had the highest vitamin A, vitamin C, and TSS contents compared to other maturity stages. e inheritance of vitamin A and C content was not a ected by the maternal e ect, while TSS was in uenced by the maternal e ect. e vitamin A, vitamin C, and TSS content characteristics had higher phenotypic diversity coe cients than genetic diversity coe cients, while heritability values in the broad sense for the three melon genotypic characteristics ranged from 0.613 to 0.968. Crosses of PK-165 × PK-361 can be used to assemble hybrid melon varieties that have high vitamin A, vitamin C, and TSS contents because they have positive values for heterosis and heterobeltiosis for the three characteristics.

In Madura island, corn is the main commodity that is widely planted with an area of 301,725 ha or about 30% of the area of maize in East Java. Madura Island has local cultivars, such as: Tambin, Talango, Guluk-guluk, Manding, and Kretek. Efforts to increase production are continuously being made, starting from improving varieties until managing plant pests. One of the main diseases in maize is downy mildew. However, information about the incidence, incidence, severity, and species that cause downy mildew in local cultivars has not been reported. So, this study aims to identify the causes of downy mildew in local cultivars of Madura and disease severity in the field. The research method is a survey on local maize centers. Sampling was done by using the diagonal sampling method. Each plant sample was observed for symptoms of disease and scoring to calculate the value of disease severity. Fungi identification was carried out by microscopic observation of the fungus. The results showed that the cause of downy mildew in Madura local maize in Sumenep Regency was P. maydis. The highest incidence, disease severity, and AUDPC value after 4 MST were found in Guluk-guluk cultivars in Padangdangan Village, but had the lowest disease progression rate values. Meanwhile, the highest rate of disease progression was found in the Manding cultivar in Mandala Village. Based on the resistance category, Talango cultivar had the best resistance when compared to other cultiva.Keywords: AUDPC, downy mildew, disease progress, Madurese maize, Peronosclerospora maydis